a bit of sage-ly advice

i know that i made this a while back (ie during the halloween party) but i realized that i never actually wrote about how it was made and what i learnt and have since been applying to the recipes i've been making lately.

nikki and sarah had been making fresh butternut squash ravioli all afternoon while i was dealing with the chicken and cabbage braise, when the time for saucing and plating the ravioli came around. i knew in theory (and of course via marcella's cooking bible) how to make the sage sauce that was so called for in terms of the restaurant's version and even by a similar recipe in the book. the idea of flavouring oil is not foreign to me so i thought "why not, i can totally do this" so, off i went.

i was impatient so i heated the pan quickly on high and turned it down to medium as called for by the recipe. next, in went a hunck of butter that melted faster than i was ready for and started to caramalize before i even had a chance to harvest the sage from my pot. luckily, my friend lauren came to the rescue and grabed me a bunch that i quickly threw into the pan of heated butter. oops... my bad. i didn't burn instantly, but it didn't do that lovely poof-ing action that i saw jaime oliver's sage do just that morning on tv. (i swear, the world of television is magical. even the worst of foods can look good! gah... please transfer some of that magic to my residence kitchen... please???)

so the sage leaves were now past the golden brown colour and verging on deep caramel (which i know means that the oil/pan are too hot). "crap! i still need to throw in the pecans!" so i toss them in. sizzle sizzle sizzle. "crap! stop the heat, victoria! before everything turns a not so pleasant deep.... black!?!" says my little inner voice so, what do i do? take the boiled ravioli and try and save it.

i throw in the cooked ravioli and plate it, crumble the goat cheese and serve.

result: yum.

now, whether or not it was the pasta (which i think it was) or the combination of sauce and pasta and cheese, i'm not sure, but all i know is that the ravioli were the first thing to go and everyone was very happy.

so, what did i learn?
- don't be impatient. let the pan heat slowly and you will be well rewarded.
- have all ingredients on hand BEFORE starting, especially if you're anything like me and a novice at having 2-3 different new dishes on the stove happening at once
- have great friends around when cooking. it just makes preparing and then eating the food that much more enjoyable.

so no, i didn't master this recipe, but i'm determined to get it right so day within the next 7 months (for that's all that i have left!!!!!!!) with what i've learnt, i've now infused olive oil with rosemary and it turned out fabulously. so world, look out. oil infusions are coming in!!!!!

count: 18 down, 501 to go

later guys!

stick to your bones good: White Bean Soup with Garlic and Parsley

who knew that such simple and plain ingredients could yield a soup such as this? i know the title doesn't seem very interesting but hey, what's a hungry student with minimal ingredients to do when faced with the minor problem of feeding herself? (in fact, i find myself wondering how tasty any of the recipes are going to be with plain names such as this one...) answer: flip through the book until she finds a recipe that uses what she already has on hand, of course!

like i mentioned in my Chick Pea Soup blog, i cooked up a pot of white beans while waiting for the chick peas to do their thing. the next day, i took the beans, boiled them (actually, i over boiled them and they turned into a semi-solid state of mush, but it actually worked in my favour this time round...) and got ready for another long long wait before a new pot of soup should magically appear on my stove top. nope, not this time round. with in 15 mins, the soup was ready to eat! incredible!

i admit that it took two tries to get the seasoning right (i guess i tend to under season out of the "no salt" policy that exists in my house) but a little more salt, fresh ground pepper, and most importantly, fresh parsley, was thrown in, magic really did happen. i mean, it took this soup from a state of "blah" to a state of... well, i think nikki's response says it all.

first time round, "it's good, but needs some more salt and pepper" (at this point, i hadn't added in the parsley yet). second time round (with the adjustments) she needed three times just to "make sure that everything was just right". sweet perfection.

because the soup was finished late at night, i covered it and put it into the fridge for consumption the next day. i guess that overnight, not only did the flavours come together more but so did the soup itself! serving myself was more that slapping down balls of off-white goop that dishing up a bowl of soup... :S i ended up having to dilute the soup with some hot water while warming because it was just too thick. granted that the recipe did say that you could serve this as a side dish to roast veal, i'd say that soup is meant to have at least sooooommmmeeee liquid....

at any rate, the soup was delicious and definitely filling. i was pleasantly surprised when, after 6 hours, dinner was just a distant thought. (i usually need to feed myself every 4 hours or so)

in conclusion, this soup is perfect for us students heading into exam period. it doesn't really need any work (aside from preplanning the soaking of the beans) and will keep us filled and fueled for our long hours in the library. on top of that, litteraly pennies to make. definitely a keeper.

and so my friends, the count is 17 down, 502 to go.

rosemary goodness - just a touch of spice and warmth as the days turn colder...

with nothing left in my fridge (save 10 lbs of carrots) and a pantry running bare, i turned to the legume soups to help feed me until i make my way back to the grocery store to pick up some new supplies. as such, pg. 140 yielded an interesting recipe - Chick Pea Soup.

"simple enough" thought I and definitely something i can leave on the stove and forget about as i labour away at my GI critique. so, i decide to break down the process and begin with rehydrating the legumes in during my lunch break. (for those of you looking for an inexpensive and nutritious way of eating, i definitely suggest legumes. plus, they're super easy to make)

one way is to let them soak overnight and boil them the next day. or, if you're like me and forget to do these things, fill a pot with cold water, add a cup of dried legumes (here, chick pea) and put it on the stove. let it come up to a boil and boil it away for a few minutes. then, turn off the stove and let it sit for at least an hour (or 1/2 a day in my case). you're beans are now ready to be boiled and used in your favourite soup, curry or salad.

so, taking the chick peas i rehydrated over lunch, i came back from italian and started to cook them. basically, changing the water and bringing it up to a boil again and this time, letting them simmer for at least 45 mins. while that was happenig, i started to make the flavour base for the soup. (defintiely important because this is what you'll be tasting the most) i had never flavoured oil intentionally before, but boy, was i in for a treat. basically, the premis is oil that has been heated and infused with spices (here garlic and rosemary) and then taken out. so yummy! definitely felt the long-lasting flavours in the end result. with the infused oil, i added my tomatoes (from a can) and let that become one with the oil. yes, it takes times, but i just went away and typed for a bit. 20 mins later, the "oil has seperated from the tomatoes" as the recipe called for and were ready for the chickpeas. only problem is, the chick peas we'ren't ready yet. so i took off the flavour pot and let the chick peas do it's thing.

30 mins later, chick peas ready, i put them in, stired them around, waited 15 mins (while watching House MD with nikki) and then tossed in a bouillon cube and lots of water. ok, so i didn't follow the recipe to a T but i didn't want to melt the plastic of our measuring up with boiling water so i figured it was ok. stir stir stir. wait, more House, simmer simmer simmer. PRESTO! soup for the next day :) woohoo!!

p.s. can i just say that i've just learnt another recipe that i'm sure to be making again soon??? only change is, i'll probablly end up making one of the variations because i think i need my soups less liquid and chuck -y -y and more creamy. but yum yum yum. i look forward to tucking into it tomorrow for lunch... ok, and dinner. i admit :P

p.p.s. while waiting and watching house, i put on another pot of white beans in preparation for another pot of soup this week so there! cutting cooking time by doing this together. definitely a good thing for a student about to head into hell week.

oh yeah, and i appologize for my MIA-ness. i'm trying to keep up with the posts and cooking, but let's just say, i'll be posting daily come chistmas vacation.

one more down! only... oh, i don't know to go! hahaha!!

Beware the Gnocchi invasion!!!!!!!!! Best tomato sauce is coming in!!!!!!

The Making
so, as i mentioned in my last post, making potato gnocchi while waiting for the soup is a good way to pass the time. i definitely don't suggest this to anyone who isn't patient and doesn't have a lot of time on their hands. gnocchi are a long process... something like a full movie's worth of time kinda long (and i mean intro AND final credits...) think of this as an exercise of relaxation. get into your gnocchi groove and the time will fly by. i haven't yet cooked them, but in 12 hours, when it's 12:46pm and time for lunch...

gnocchi look like little... and i hate to say it...maggots. white-ish with a ribbed back. nikki totally agrees with me... i was showing her the first photo and we discussed it for a good 5 mins. while that not being so pleasant, i've been assured that they are very good. personally, my run-ins with gnocchi have not been great as i found them very dense and rather flavourless. i'm hoping this batch will change my mind. i plan on cooking up "Tomato sauce with onion and butter" as suggested by the book for lunch tomorrow afternoon and will write about it then.

they are made with 2 things: potato and flour (hence my previous encounters being "dense") and sometimes egg, if necessary. first, the potato is boiled and then milled (or mashed in my case) into a smooth consistency at which point the flour is added and it's all kneeded into a smooth, but sticky ball. then ropes of dough and rolled out and "pillows" are made. each pillow is then rolled along the tines of a fork and voila, gnocchi is born.
i don't know about you, but i almost feel like most of mine look more like a cross between orrecchietti for it's hollow nature, fusili for it's length and gnocchi for it's ribbed nature. i acutally cheated and went in to "form" the ones that didn't look even semi-right...

for those of you who will attempt to try this: (as i hope you all do...)
- give yourself time. lots of time. i didn't realize how long it was taking until the end of the movie started to come along and i still had 25 pillows to "roll".
- know that you'll need lots of clean surface and a pot of flour so as to make sure that you have space to place your growing gnocchi army and it doesn't stick to anything.
- be sure to stick your fork into the flour every few pillows. it'll help avoid making a sticky smear down the tines.
- dirty hands are inevitable so take of all rings BEFORE starting... trust me, i speak from first hand experience...
- if you don't plan on cooking them right after you make them (or within the hour) place them onto floured pans that fit into your freezer and freeze them individually before placing them all into a bag and storing them for future use (otherwise, you'll end up with sticky mounds that won't listen to you as you try and pry them from a previously-floured-but-now-not-so-much table surface)
- expect yourself to feel like a nonna or italian grandmother because i swear, no one does it like this in this century this anymore... it makes you really appreciate the fresh hand-made stuff that you see in the few fresh pasta shops in italy. though, i could see this being a good cooking party thing.,. (ok fine, maybe that's only me)

The Verdict
failure :( i was so hoping that it would work out, but instead, while it was cooking, it turned into a a puddle of soft mushy-ness. looking back, it was probably because i didn't know how much 1.5 lbs of potato equaled in terms of whole pieces and didn't have a scale to measure, but now, despite the amount of time it takes to make them, i'm determined to do it properly. i know now what it's NOT supposed to be like, so i just have to work towards what i DOES have to look like.

as for the sauce... OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!
i can't rave enough about the perfect harmony that is the sauce that i made for the gnocchi. it was so simple, so perfect, so magical. i mean, maybe it's just me, but if there are any of you out there who are blown away by a simple pasta sauce produced at your favourite italian restaurant, this may be it. it's NOT a marinara sauce. it's even more simple than that.
tomato, butter, salt and 1 onion cut in half sit together for 45 mins at a slow simmer to become the a perfection of harmony. i'm going to say that it forms the basis of pretty much any other sauce (at least i think). honestly people, sooooo good. i admit to ditching the gnocchi, toasting a piece of bread and throwing on an over-easy fried egg and calling it a meal. yum....

too bad the gnocchi didn't turn out properly. oh well, i'll make it again and report back any thing i learn.

Zuppa di patata con delle cipolle soffocate

Here to report that one more recipe has been accomplished and put into the repertoire of the dishes i can now make: Potato Soup with Smothered Onion -aka Zuppa di patata con cipolla soffocata or"comfort in a bowl". (hahha, don't things sound better in italian???)

this is another one for those of you who love the mashed potatoes during thanksgiving that have the creaminess of butter and the flavour of onions -yum.

this one actually went down SUPER WELL! without mishaps and without stress. result - absolutely deliciously creamy soup. granted that it took me the better part of an evening, the results were well worth it. i now have homemade soup ready to defrost whenever i need an instant meal.

the basic premises of the soup are 3 ingredients and time: potato, onions and broth (oh, and of course butter) become best friends over the better part of an hour then get squished together to help the creaminess of the soup. the cool this about this is that it doesn't call for a food mill, just a wooden spoon.

some suggestions i'd have for this recipe are:
- cut the amount of butter and oil in half: personally, it was just a little too rich for me
- if you don't have homemade broth, use your favourite canned or cubed beef broth. i think what marcella was going for here was that it should be rather light as you don't want that flavour to over power that of the onions and potatoes

some considerations when making it:
- this recipe takes a while to make and shouldn't be rushed. do it on a lazy saturday or sunday afternoon and make some other stuff (like potato gnocchi!!) while waiting
- when going in to squish the potatoes, wear your dishwashing glove and avoid the possibility of getting burnt with the splashes
- if squishing annoys you, you can always pull out a potato masher (if you have one) and go for a chunky consistency; this is faster, but be sure that the soup isn't bubbling when you do it otherwise you'll definitely get burnt

ok, that's it! hope you enjoy!
(13 down, 506 to go)

p.s. i'll post photos when i can

official count

12 recipes down, 507 to go
7 months and counting

All chicken-ed out... - part 2: lauren's birthday

lauren's a friend of mine whose birthday happens to fall on a week that i wasn't going to be in town. to make up for missing the festivities over the weekend, i invited her and 1 or 2 of her closest friends to come to my place for dinner. she requested polenta, a long long time ago in passing while having lunch one afternoon so i used that as the basis of my meal.

polenta, according to Marcella's book, is great for anything braissed. ok, i had bought a pork roast to braise, but ended up with too much 1/2 cooked browned chicken from halloween so i thought it better to make it into something. so, i settled on Chicken Cacciatora, New Version.

on the menu for the dinner:
- asiago dip with fresh carrots
- warm polenta topped with fork-tender chicken cacciatore
- baked raddicchio for contrast
- fresh pear tart as a birthday cakeHide all

asiago dip with fresh carrots:
yup, used up some of those 10 lbs of carrots to make a not-so-heavy version of bread or bread sticks available on every italian table. i'll admit, the dip was from the super market. i was going to make a ricotta and anchovy crostini when i shied away and opted for a less odd thing of pre-made dip.

warm polenta:
polenta is a corn based grain "sponge" used to absorb flavours of whatever is around it. a staple comfort food for any true italian -- or so i've been told. i have to say, if you've never made it before, it's actually quite a nerve racking experience, especially if you've never done it before. add in the element of "guests" and you've got yourself a fiasco... yup, you guessed it, welcome to 7:15pm Nov. 2nd, London Hall, rm 510, kitchen.

lauren and her boyfriend were supposed to be coming over for 8pm for her pre-birthday dinner. having horror stories of yellow rubber flowing through my head, i thought it smart to make the polenta at the very last minute, ie 7:15 start boiling the water with a projected finished time around 8:05pm when it would have to be spooned directly onto the plates and served. great plan, i swear! except that....
a) boiling water with polenta grains = super-heated mini canon balls of yellow goop that fly, stick and burn anything they touch; BE CAREFUL!! my cookbook definitely started it's battle wounds that night when yellow clods of 1/2 cooked polenta flew onto it and my hands as i tried to continuously stir it while it was boiling at med. temp. very bad idea on my part.
b) whenever you think water will boil quickly, it never does meaning that i finished making it around 8:15 and not 8:05
c) your making 2 other dishes at the same time and your room mate needs the oven to make dinner. the chicken was braising on the stove -which, based on my 1st attempt of chicken and red cabbage, i was watching like a hawk- while i was prepping the radicchio for it's bake in the oven. then nikki says "how long are you going to be using the oven? i need to make dinner..." to which i respond, "uh.... um.... i was going to use it till tonight was over?" obviously i didn't but that meant a whole bunch of time calculations to make sure that i wasn't going to be serving dinner at 10pm...
d) your cookbook's ratios differ from the ones of the package you bought
e) you think you've over salted the entire thing -- thankfully, it wasn't the case and i just compensated by under saltig the sauce of the chicken

lots of things can go wrong, i swear... but it all turned out fine in the end :)

all crisis averted (at least on my part) when, at 8:15, i start cursing because my guests haven't arrived yet and every minute that passes, the polenta's ultimate fate of yellow rubber draws closer. at 8:20, i decide that i'm not going to let it become a pot-shapped mass of yellow and grab a square baking dish and make a cake of it. served it in a puddle of the chicken sauce, hidden under a chicken piece and topped with some fresh green parsley.

chicken cacciatore, new version:
with the extra pieces of browned chicken from the halloween dinner, i took all the juice and fat that was at the bottom of the bowl and used that as the beginning of the flavour base for the sauce (i know, not exactly as it was written in the book, but i just couldn't pass up on infusing more flavour into the dish). then added the onions and garlic. deglazed with the wine and added a can of crushed tomatoes. adjusted the seasonings and placed the chicken back in to cook slowly. just before serving, i found the sauce to be too monotonous, so i threw in large diced very ripe tomato which was the perfect thing because it balanced everything and removed the "from can" taste that i felt was coming through. under close supervision, no mishaps occured and the chicken was ready when i was.

baked radicchio:
apparently this is not a vegetable that people know as neither lauren nor kyle, her bf, knew what it was when i asked them. for those of you who don't know, it looks like a very small red cabbage with white ribs. its has a bitter taste when eaten raw, but baking it mellows it out a little. i served this as a dish on it's own, after the polenta and chicken, using it's bitter notes to cut through the creamy-ness of the polenta and rich sauce.
i basically cut each head into quaters and tossed it with some olive oil, salt and pepper and baked it at a super high heat. the result? soft, mellow radicchio with just a touch of bitterness - perfect for a beginner's palate. i drizzled some extra olive oil on it before serving and a small grating of fresh parmigianno. it was well recieved.

farmer's wifes' fresh pear tart:
seeing as it was a birthday, a cake was definitely in order. pears are now in season, so, why not? fresh pear tart it was.
i chose smaller ones, seeing as everything else in the cookbook called for small things, but in the end, it really didn't make a difference. what does make a difference, however, is the ripeness of your fruit. for example, the pears i took were sweet, but didn't have the full pear-flavour yet so the cake ended up being a little bland for my liking but i added a light dusting of icing sugar to the top which helped.
i fear that this was not the best dessert for the end of this meal because it just didn't stand up to the other strong flavours that were just presented. kyle brought a bottle of YellowTail bubbly, which helped bring out the pear flavour, but just couldn't cut through it all.

All in all, i think that this menu was great, save the dessert. i should have gone for a cool gelato like i wanted to, but i didn't listen to my initial instincts and had a good tasting, but not 100% fitted dessert. oh well, next time.

Farmer's Wifes' Fresh Pear Tart

All chicken-ed out... - part 1: halloween

after two full meals revolving around the lovely art of braised chicken, i think i can satisfactorily say that i am all chicken-ed out.

up first: Chicken Fricasse with Red Cabbage

wishing to stun my halloween guests with an incredible dish that used seasonal ingredients, the Chicken Fricasse with Red Cabbage seemed to fit the bill very well. Plus, it gave me a chance to use my "new" food processor!! i mean, 4 cups shedded cabbage??? 1 cup onions sliced very thin??? who's got time for that?!? I DO!! with my 1980s food processor!! hahaha!! whatever, it got the job done and i couldn't have asked for more. so here's how this one went down in history.

after a morning of vegging out infront of the tv with my room mate Nikki, we decide that it's about time for us to go to the supermarket and lcbo to buy what we need for the party at our place tonight. list in hand, we head out the door and to the car.

on the menu:
- hand made butternut squash ravioli with goat cheese, pecans and a sage butter sauce (made by nikki)
- Chicken Fricasse with Red Cabbage (by me)

first stop, lcbo. relatively uneventful, minus the phone call from my dad when i finally said to him that i was buying wine for a party i was having that night. first time ever saying that i was buying alcohol for non-parental use... weird. bought a nice red table wine that served well in both the dish and for dinner drinking, some port and an argentinian rose.

next stop, no frills. whoot! i officially feel sorry for anyone who has to go grocery shopping with me. it takes forever!!! and i buy the most ridiculous things -- like 10lbs of carrots... yup, still sitting in my fridge. i figure, if stored properly, they should last me a while... right? but, after almost 2 hours in there, nikki and i emerge victorious with enough food to feed an army! (aka 8 university students)

our final stop is a small cooking store where i pick up a ravioli wheel then we zoom back home and begin an afternoon of cooking.

i don the chef coat (which doubles as my costume), put my hair in pigtails and begin to feel like a female equivalent of jaime oliver -- chopping, pulsing, sauteing and moving about the kitchen. we've pulled out the dining table that became the ravioli headquarters while our kitchen became my battlezone of cabbage, onion and garlic. with the help of another friend, karam, i fire up the stove and start heating the pan.

because of pan constraints, i had to cook the chicken and the sauce in the same pan, so i guess i modified the recipe as i had all the "little brown bits" in the pan before adding the onions to saute. after karam processed my onions and cabbage, i followed the recipe until i had to leave it to 40 mins to simmer.... that's when, at the 30 min mark, i noticed the acrid smell of burnt something in the air and raced back to the stove to check... sure enough, the bottom of the pan was encrusted with a thick layer of burnt-ness. CRAP!!!!! it was already 5:00 and we were supposed to be having dinner at 6:30!!! and the sauce needed 40 mins without the chicken and another 40 with the chicken!! so, without a hesitation, i reached for bowl, took out what i could of the non-burnt cabbage and went to scrape the pan clean to start from the beginning as i wouldn't have anything to serve if i didn't.

knowing the steps definitly helped as the world around me became a blur and the methodical chop-chop-chop sound of the knife on the chopping board became all i could hear. somewhere around me, nikki was asking for my help in making ravioli -- something i've never done before, so i pointed her to the book. pan heated and oil in, i waited for the onions and garlic to turn a deep golden, which happened soon enough. then i threw in the half-cooked cabbage from the burnt dish and cooked that down for a few minutes. after that, deglazing with the red wine and more simmer time. sure enough, by the time the chicken went in, the sauce was dark purple and definitely on the sweet side. in when the chicken, whose flesh was instantly stained a deep purple, turning them almost unappealing. they were so beautifully golden before and now not :( it made me sad... but 30 mins later, at a slow simmer, the chicken was done. i turned off the heat and let the residual heat keep on cooking the chicken as we enjoyed a glass of wine or two while waiting for others to arrive. by the time it was served, the chicken was tender but slightly firm. i don't know whether or not it was done correctly, but the flavour was there and that, is all that counted. i do however, think that i need to work on the presentation of the dish. (sorry i can't show it right now, the left overs are in the freezer and i forgot to grab a picture as i was serving it)

it still amazes me how such few ingredients can create such a wholesome dish. you just need some time... and by some, i mean lots...

as for the ravioli making, the only thing i really did was point nikki in the right direction. i mean, i knew in theory how to make ravioli stuffing, the pasta part and how to put it together, but the actual hands that touched it, were her's. they turned out perfect, by the way, and were gobbled up as quickly as they were being sauteed in their sage butter and topped with pecans and goat's cheese. (ok fine, yes, it was me doing that part, but only because nikki was already well on her way in a bottle of wine... good times, good times.)

up next: lauren's birthday

nikki making the ravioli pasta

the chaos that was preparing the chicken

the ravioli before cooking


me having way too much fun...

When life gives you lemons, make.... chicken with two lemons, of course!!!

Pollo a due limoni

So I've been a little MIA for the last few weeks with the beginning of two weeks of utter hell, BUT, that doesn't mean I haven't forgotten about the 514 recipes to go...

And on that note, I bought 1 whole chicken and 2 lemons (as the name of the recipe indicates). I followed the procedures exactly but for some strange strange reason, it didn't turn out the way it was supposed to... ie, the lemons, that were supposed to have turned a soft golden brown, remained as they were when i first put them in!?! BUT, the chicken, as promised, was extremely juice so i guess not all was lost. i'm starting to suspect that she was using a normal oven where as i am using a microwave convection oven...

the premise of the dish is this: take a whole chicken, put two beatup and poked lemons inside, bake and wait for magic to occur. great, i mean, how bad can that be, right?

WRONG!!

my chicken definitely came out as juicy as promised, but that beautiul lemony brightness hadn't infused the entire chicken and the lemon had NOT turned into the so-said "by now" light golden browness called for in the recipe. what did i do wrong?!?! i swear i followed the recipe as it said!!!... well, sorta...

my chicken WAS a little smaller than what was asked for and my lemons where HUGE in comparison. i mean, there was NO way that 2 were entering that chicken... let alone one... can anyone say homone-enhanced GMO??? but, as with anything, i charged ahead hoping that it would turn out well.
can i just say how strange it is to have to wash the inside of a chicken? you feel the ribs along your palm, the dark coolness enveloping your hand, all under the impression that any time now, your chicken is going to go flying out of your hands because it's a little slippery with the skin and the fat... great feeling, really. try it if you haven't...
so, after washing, pat drying (again, something i don't usually do to chickens... you know, maybe myself after a shower, but not a chicken...) and seasoning both the outside AND the inside (yup, more dark cool goodness), i turned my attention to the lemons. "roll and poke with at least 20 holes" ok, i can do that. roll i did. it's actually really cool how you can feel the inside segments of the lemon breaking down as you roll it along the countertop. i took the prescribed fork and with a force like no other, proceeded to perferate the skins of the lemon. poke, poke, poke. CRAP my frok wasn't making anything but DENTS in the skin, time for reinforcements. out come the steak knife. "THERE WILL BE HOLES IN THIS LEMON IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO!!!"

the perferated lemons are now sitting on the counter waiting to be placed into the chicken cavity, when i encounter the problem of actually getting both lemons to fit. i thought that if i flipped it over and pushed as hard as i could on the lemons entering from the back, it would pop out the front and enough space would be had. boy, was i ever wrong. no matter how hard i pushed, the lemons would go no where!! in the end, i could only fit one in and put the 2nd one back in the fridge (where it proceeded to create a sticky puddle of juice :S ) i carefully put in my well seasoned, well loved chicken in hopes that it would puff up and become this magnificent roast fowl that i could show off here... opps, when i went to turn it, the skin on the breast ripped a bit and dasked that hope :(

1.5 hrs later, out came the chicken, smelling sooooooo goood but much to hot to handle, so i let it sit for 15 mins before pulling out the steak kinfe again and carving off a leg... YUM!!! the meat was so juicey and succulent, but lacked in the lemon flavours that i caught closer to where the lemon actually sat.

here are some alterations i would do for the next time:
- buy a bigger chicken
- buy smaller lemons
- wedge up the lemon and use that inside the chicken (it wouldn't matter if it touched the roof of the chicken cavity, because it would start on on surface and roll over when you go to flip the chicken)
- i know that the recipe doesn't call for any fats of any kind, but to prevent the skin from sticking to the pan, i think a little butter on the breast of the chicken in the first part of the cooking process would prevent it from sticking

with that ends the 514th recipe, meaning 513 to go!

The tale of 2 pork chops: from a soupy destiny to braised... imperfection?

a pair of pork chops have been staring at me for the past week waiting for their time to be made into Pasta e Fagioli soup, but alas, midterm season has come and sit they did...UNTIL TODAY! :D

i had 45 mins before having to go to work and knowing that it wasn't worth it for me to start studying, i decided that pre-making dinner was a good idea. out comes Essentials and directly to "pork chops" i turn. i don't have any white wine sitting around but i did have some fresh sage, so i decided on Braised Pork Chops with Sage and Tomatoes, Modena Style with Sauteed Broccoli with Olive Oil and Garlic. i thought i'd leave the pork chops to braise on low heat while i was at work and the broccoli should only take a few minutes to sautee once i got back, so, why not?

notes to the wise:

- read through the ENTIRE recipe BEFORE starting it... definitely didn't do that and spent the first 5 mins running around the kitchen like a mad woman trying to coat the pork chop with flour that wasn't read, heat the butter and oil that looked already as if it were going too brown, de-flower and peel the broccoli, set a pot of water to boil and not burn down the building

- don't try to do a million things if you don't have the process down pat, but, who was i to know??? they seem to be fine doing it on the tv...

so, after 5 mins of mayhem in the kitchen, i decide to close the water and just deal with it later. the pork chops are read to go into the pan and the fats have been heated to med/high. in goes the chops... brown goes everything in the pan!! and out comes huge smoke!! ahhh!!! what went wrong!?!?! oh, did i mention that i forgot to throw in fresh sage at the same time? oops... fresh sage leaves were plucked and thrown in after the chops had already been in for 2 mins and they immediately shrivled up to burnt-looking things... uh oh... now what? on with the show?

"Cook the chops to a rich brown on both sides,..." ok, so i flip the chops and wait... oops maybe i took the "rich brown" a little too much to heart? i was standing there wondering if i had managed to ruin the dish. i hope not... 15 mins till i had to leave for work :S

i added the rest of the ingredients and can i just say, tomatoes can work magic... they made everything look so perfect. rustic and right. woohoo!! i turned the heat down to low and let them braise for another 5 mins before turning off the heat completely, plating it, taking a picture throwing it back in the pot and heading down to work.

i managed to try a bit right before leaving and it tasted really good actually. but, not very sage-y (i don't think that's a word). maybe i should have tried adding the sage in a second before adding the pork chops to infuse the fats a little before adding the pork. oh well, maybe next time?

p.s. for all the students, this dish is not only affordable (a grand total of maybe ~5$ for 2 porkchop meals) but it's super fast! it took me all of 15mins from beginning to end (and that was even with me prepping the broccoli as i went along). try it out. tell me what you think.

(well, without braising time? but, i didn't really do that and it turned out fine)

i'm going to say that if i tweaked my timing a little, this dish is just so... italy. simple with great ingredients and a warm feeling :) can't beat that on a cold night.

the adventures with broccoli are far less amusing, but not any less tasty. because i was going to let the broccoli sit out for a little while, i did take it out right before it was fork-tender to let the residual heat "cook" it while i was at work. result = perfectly green and crisp broccoli ready for a quick visit to the pan for it's final dressing. YUM! now THAT, is broccoli! :D

Braised Pork Chops with Sage and Tomatoes, Modena Style

IT HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!

ESSENTIALS of ITALIAN COOKING HAS ARRIVED TO LONDON HALL!!!!!!!

up until now, i've been using a copy from the local library, but today, a lovely package was waiting for me in the mail when i went to check. my very own copy of the italian cooking bible has arrived. now, i don't have to worry about when i have to return it again! :D

otherwise, on the domain of cooking, RAVIOLI.

instead of a huge halloween party, my roommate and i are doing a ravioli party and will try to recreate her favourite dish from milestones (butternut squash ravioli with glazed pecans, sage butter and cumbled goat cheese) while basing our study on the principles set forth by marcella.

can't wait!

3 down, 515 to go!

Well, after procrastinating for about a week, I finally decided to get down to make my first recipes.

As a cook, I don't usually follow recipes well. I read them, understand the big picture, then go about making the dish my way. For the intents of this project, I am trying to stick to the recipes as written - which, for someone like me, if MIGHTY difficult.

Minestrina Tricolore: potato soup with carrots and celery

after visiting Loblaws to pick up some missing ingredients (and a new heavy bottom saute pan, cover and herb bush) I peeled my potatoes, put on the water and started the boil. Woohoo!! Step 1 done without a hitch. Now on to step 2...

Onions, carrots, celery and oil are all things I am very familiar with in the kitchen. I tend to over use the OCC and under use the oil, just because I'm like that. So, when the recipe called for the complete reversal of my norm, I definitely had problems. i mean, who uses ONLY 3tbsp of OCC?!? really, com'on now! and then, on top of that, they called for BUTTER?!?! the dreaded light yellow brick that seems so familiar to my brother-in-law and sister but is almost as dreaded as the plague in my house... moral dilemma. what to do? what to do?!? but, as it WAS called for in the recipe, i went ahead and used it... AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MAKES!!! wow! i mean, brown butter definitely has that nutty taste that all the chefs rave about. definitely try it if you haven't.

proceeded to do the rest of the recipe without a hick-up and, before i knew it, i was done. standing in front of my very first marcella recipe. it was a strange, yet satisfying feeling. knowing that i'd conquered some of my "fears" and understood WHY it was only 3tbsp of each... it just makes the soup quite pretty.

All in all, definitely a recipe i would recommend for anyone to make, especially as the days get colder.

oh, one other thing. the recipe calls for a "food mill" but definitely don't have one (maybe at christmas? still not 100% convinced that i need one) so i used my hand blender that i stole from home, on the "ok" from my "italian mother" (she says that if one does not have a food mill or a passaverdura, one can use a food processor instead -- also something i don't have, but will hopefully be getting soon) while i have never conciously had a soup that was made specifically with a food mill, i'm going to say that it probablly turns out a little more creamy than mine did. when i looked at the soup, i was expecting velvety goodness, but i was a little dissapointed with the almost granular texture that was produced.
i think the next time i make this soup (which is definitely going to be sometime this season) i'll try passing it through a fine mesh strainer or, even better, a newly procured passaverdura.

Finocchio - 2 ways

i love fennel. i really do. usually i toss it up with a splash of fresh orange juice, white balsamic vinegar, EVOO, salt and pepper. mmm... yum. but here, they called to braise it with either EVOO or butter/Parmesan.

not wanting to make a whole bunch of stuff i may or may not like, i took the time to make 1 slice of EVOO braised fennel and 1 slice of butter/Parmesan. it paid off because while both had this beautifully creamy texture at the end, i have to say that i liked the fresh stuff the most. of the two, EVOO was better, but maybe it's because i screwed up the butter one... i don't know, but i'll might try it out again later.

finocchio e la PastaQueen

confession: i've been living off of canned food for the past few days

new reality: FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!!!!!!!! (check out the attached photo as a testament :P)

today marks the first of many days to come that i will actually be making dishes that are in the book as i have FINALLY gotten myself to a supermarket and can FINALLY start cooking like a real person! (only problem is, midterms hang in the near future...)

on the menu: braised finocchio and minestrina tricolore
(well, i'll have to get some potatoes, but whatever)

also, i have a new pasta machine!! it will be making it's debut performace shortly so definitely keep an eye out for it! but getting it, now that's another story...

The PastaQueen moves in...
this story starts a few days ago when i was searching on kijiji for some 2nd hand kitchen appliances that i needed to complete the book. i found a "made in italy" one for $15 and, while i have one at home, couldn't let this incredible opportunity pass. so, when my roommate asked if i wanted to go to the grocery store with her, i saw my chance and seized it!

as my roommate and i were going for this grocery run when i get an email from the seller of the pasta maker that i have today and tomorrow from 6-8pm to pick it up if i still want it. not wanting to miss out on a "made in italy" pasta maker, i ask if it's at all possible for us to get it on our way to the supermarket. as luck would have it, it was actually sorta on the way there and we were able to pass by. (if not, i was going to figure it out tomorrow)

as we're driving towards the place, my roommate starts telling me that this place is known for being the rough area in london and fair enough; it was in the middle of god-know's-where booneyville london!!!!!!!!! she tells me of how her boyfriend's cousin, who's a cop, would always have to come out there to check on something or do something in general... :S what was i thinking!! i was totally going to do this on my own... but uh... yay for bestest best roommates!!!
we're driving more and more into this place and the only thought that's going through my head (and her's too apparently) was "WHERE ARE WE AND HOW DO I GET OUT?!?!"

so, with google driving direction in hand, we find the illusive house and pull over.

twilight. dark shapes and shadows move about with nothing but the russling leaves around us. me, being me, thought i could do this on my own, but thankfully, my roommate asked to come along and so, we got out of the car and approached the door. up a narrow driveway, with dried plants encroaching on the pavement. knock knock. no answer. knock knock. noise inside. we wait.

the door is opened by this smiling non-ganster looking grandmother type person and i ask, "hi, are you debra?" yup, found the house and although arriving rather unexpectedly, she welcomes us in and we wait in her front foyer. a fat cat sits down the hallway and lazily stares at us while my roommate and i discuss in a rather falsely cheereful voice the pros and cons of some miscellaneous subject. finally, the person re-appears with the pasta maker in hand and all i can say is "pheeewww.... can we go now?"

and off we go, back to the car, and room away to the supermarket.

oh, the adventures this project is bringing me.

i can't wait to get my own copy of the book in the mail! i'm currently using a library book until mine arrives, but heheheheh :D so excited!!

check out some of marcella's recipes on your own :)

http://www.dolcevita.com/cuisine/recipes/recipes.htm

"variety meats" anyone???

just came back from thanksgiving weekend at home home and can't believe the number of recipes that need to be done!!

518 in total with a whopping 111 different pasta dishes... -- incredibile!!

definitely starting to have my doubts about this project... every heard of "variety meats"??? yup, that's a chapter in the book and includes such delicacies as calf brain, liver and kidney. uh... anybody know any good butchers in the north london area? because i'm going to say that those lovely cuts of meat aren't going to be able at my local Loblaws...

also, holy do they love pasta! i mean, i realized that it was important, but not until i counted up the recipes in this book, did i realize the extent! i've really got to get cracking on this!

ooo, on a fun note, went beserk at nofills over the weekend! bought fennel or finocchio and atichokes to start trying out the recipes, but alas, never got a chance to actually start... :( was so looking forward to it! however, do not fret!! it will begin!! (you know, once i get more than 1 egg and 3 apples in my fridge! hahaha!!!)

confession...

definitely up til 3am reading and putting together a friend's birthday dinner...

also, the food processor is gone!!!!!!!!!! :(

discovering what's available and a new addition!!!!!

as students, we are limited by both space, time and, let's face it... money.

after a day of preliminary Marcella readings, i've discovered that apparently i don't need a million different pieces of equipment to get good results; all you need is a few key pieces... -- definitely a good thing for a student with a cooking set meant for one...

here's what i've got:
- large chopping board (bought in 1st year)
- chef's knife (stolen from home)
- 2 white plates and bowls (thank you ikea!)
- set of 2 complete "silverware" (can you say dollarama?!?!)
- a million and one mugs (both ceramic and travelling)
- 1 large-ish pot, 1 medium pot, 1 small pot (all inherited from my older sister's time at uni)
- 1 large wok with wooden spoon (gifts from my sister before leaving for uni)
- 1 pan (that i share with my current roommate -- it's her's you see...)
- a mish-mash of other cooking utensils picked up along the years
- 1 microplane zester (daddy loves me! :D)
- 1 apron (direct from rome)

- 1 pizza pan/crisper combo (actually bought this year... impressive...)
- 2 8" cake pans (same with this!!! splurge!!)
- 1 small pan for my toaster over (care of mommy)
- 1 george forman 1-person grill (stolen from grandma)
- 1 crock-pot (gift from my mom who thought i needed to make more nutritious meals)

i'd say, bar the last 3 things, they are things almost everybody has in a kitchen. my soon-to-be addition???? A FOOD PROCESSOR!!!!!!!! ahhh!!!!!!! so excited!!!! will definitely inaugurate it with a very classic pesto... i think that's a good starting point, no?

can't wait to see the results!! :D

in the beginning...

so here i am. never thought that i'd enter this cyber world of blogging, but after watching "julie&julia" (a movie i really think any foodie would love) i thought it might be fun to try and recreate that, but tailor it to me :)

i am a self-prophesed "canadian by birth, but italian by heart". i've travelled there 3 times in the past 4 years and have fallen deeper and deeper in love with the people, the culture and the food with each trip. i'm also a full-time university student that doesn't know what her next step is going to be. so, with my final year in front of me and a blank canvas for a future, i figure i'll start with what i love: europe. and more specifically: ITALY.

with beginner's italian by my side, andrea bocelli in my ears and a good red wine in hand, i'm going to take "Essentials of Italian Cooking" (by Marcella Hazan, the italian equivalent of Julia Child) and cook it all before the end of the school year - and without breaking the bank! wish me luck!

ciao ciao!!